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29 July 2015 PRESS RELEASE The Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) today announced that this year five individuals from India, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines will receive Asia’s premier prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award. The 2015 Magsaysay Awardees are: Kommaly Chanthavong, from Laos. She is being recognized for “her fearless, indomitable…

The 57th Ramon Magsaysay Award Presentation Ceremonies
We invite everyone to join us in celebrating Greatness of Spirit and Transformative Leadership.
Come to the 2015 Ramon Magsaysay Award Presentation Ceremonies.
August 31, 2015 | 4:30-6:00 PM
Cultural Center of the Philippines
This event is open to the public.
Watch here

VOICES

After the awarding of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2014 and the different activities I attended, I went back to my work station in Sitio Pegalongan, Davao, full of hope and inspiration for my vision for the Matigsalug Tribe: to uplift their lives through quality education, sustainable livelihood and environmental preservation. The award has greatly helped me in connecting easily with more government…

There are rare moments in our lives that we would remember for ever. When the RMAF President called me and told me I was nominated for the Magsaysay Award it became one of those rare precious moments in my life. When I look back at the time between hearing the news and participating at the award ceremony, every moment is of joy, surprise and satisfaction. Soon I got calls from friends,…

What gave me joy during that week is when I met interesting people who work with passion, all of them including the RMAF staff whose energy and charming ways influenced me. Every time I go through all the activities even if a bit tiring, I forgot my tiredness. I just wish I was able to speak more in detail with my fellow awardees, if they are provided with a translator. I can only talk smoothly…

AWARDEES

Monumental disasters in recent years have starkly exposed the vulnerabilities of the world’s poor, but have also shown that there is a tremendous wellspring of human empathy that can be tapped to help them. The formidable challenge is to find ever better, more sustainable ways of organizing the effort to help those in need. …

In a time that has seen nations violently torn apart by ethnic and religious wars, it is important to be reminded of the healing power of the arts in showing that while culture is what makes people of various ethnicities, religions, and nationalities distinct, it is also culture that connects them in the awareness of a shared humanity that is enriched by such differences. This truth lies at the heart…

Corruption is a plague on nations. In rooting out corruption, the work of government in strengthening systems of transparency and accountability is crucial. But ultimately, success still depends on ethical public servants and a vigilant public. In India, forty-year-old government officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi is an inspirational example. Coming from a family of civil servants, Chaturvedi joined…

In Myanmar, a process of democratization is underway after decades of isolation, economic stagnation, and social instability due to war and state repression. In a transition that is complex and uncertain, the building of social cohesion and a strong civil society is crucial to the country’s pursuit of peace and prosperity. Fifty-five-year-old Kyaw Thu is an exceptional figure in this story.…

Over half a century of war and authoritarian rule has ravaged Laos, resulting in large-scale destruction, loss of lives, and a country that remains one of the world’s poorest. Yet it is a testament to the Laotian people that despite all this, here greatness of the human spirit has not been extinguished. Born into a farming family, Kommaly Chanthavong lived through all her country’s…